Pres. Duterte oks proposal to host Miss U in PHL, says DOT

MANILA — Weeks after Tourism Secretary Wanda Corazon Teo announced her proposal to host the forthcoming Miss Universe pageant in the Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte has given her the go signal to carry it out.

”The President agreed that sponsoring the event would be a tourism marketing coup with Philippines’ Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach at the helm,” Teo said.

Teo said Wurtzbach is due to return to the country and call on Duterte even as she assured that commercial sponsors have offered to put up part of the franchise money.

“Sponsoring Miss Universe is our focus right now, with the plan and sources of funding in tow. We are ready to seize the moment,” Teo said.

Teo earlier said that the hosting of Miss Universe would have a greater impact to the country’s tourism promotion efforts.

“Once Pia announces that Miss Universe is going to happen here, people abroad will start looking at the map and see where the Philippines is. And, we’re saying, we’d love to have you in PI,” she added.

Teo earlier said that segments of the month-long beauty pageant will be in various tourist sites in Palawan, Boracay and Cebu, which topped the World’s Best Islands 2016 awards by the Travel & Leisure magazine. PNA/northboundasia.com